Taoiseach Micheál Martin has been praised for an “honest and heartbreaking” interview about the loss of his two children.
Mr Martin spoke about how he coped with the cot death of his five week old baby Ruairí in 1999 and the tragic death of his eight year old daughter Leana in 2010.
Tributes have flown in for Mr Martin and his family following the interview in the Irish Times in which he said “you will always say that you have the kids that you lost.”
Mr Martin has three other children aged in their 20s.
On the death of his son Ruairí, he said: “A trauma of that kind never hit me until then, so your certainties kind of ebb away a bit.
“What I always say is that Micheál Aodh and Aoibhe took us through that, because when you have children and you endure trauma like that, you have to get up the following day.”
Mr Martin also said following the death of his daughter Leana in 2010, he considered leaving his political career.
He said: “It was an awful time. We didn’t expect it.
“It was unexpected even though she had challenges, cardiac issues. People were very good to us.
“The first three weeks were a blur after Leana’s passing.
“Life was not meant to hit you so hard.
“After Leana, yes, I did weigh it up whether I’d carry on or not.
“I’ll reflect on that until the day I die: why do you do things? I’ve a view that it’s a certain inner thing that you keep going.”
Reacting to Mr Martin’s interview, Labour leader Alan Kelly said the interview was “A very honest & sensitive piece which marries loss and heart break with a desire for public service.”
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: “Everyone should read this today. The decency and determination through adversity of Micheál and his wife, Mary, shines through.”
While Cork South-West TD Christopher O’Sullivan described the interview as “honest and heart-breaking.”
While the public have also praised the Taoiseach on social media for being so open and honest and speaking about grief.
